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“Remember, remember the 5th November….”
Remember this little ditty from school days? How about “a penny for the guy” and those scary TV ads that always warned us about the risks of messing about on Bonfire Night?
Many moons ago, I came across another little ditty, written by the American writer and family counsellor, Dorothy Law Nolte. Sadly, Dorothy passed away in 2005 at nearly 82 years of age – you may well have come across a number of variations to what follows with each line possibly pulling a heartstring as you think about your own childhood.
Working with clients who, for whatever reason, missed out on their early years, yet today appear to function as highly competent and successful individuals, it never ceases to amaze me how often, just by reciting the lines below, many of them find that by replacing the word, “child” with “person”, it shows that the sentiment is just as relevant for adults:
If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn,
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight,
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy,
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty,
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient,
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns be confident
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate,
If a child lives with fairness, he learns about justice,
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith,
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself,
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world.
So, as you have that moment of nostalgia, thinking of your own childhood as the fireworks go off this weekend, remember to stay safe while having fun with the little ones…..and as they grow up to start to discover the world in their own unique way, let’s hope they’re lucky enough to be love unconditionally, learning about life as they play.